2022 Edition

Background

The huge delta region formed at the confluence of the Ganges and Brahmaputra River systems - now referred to as Bangladesh - was a loosely incorporated outpost of various empires centered on the Gangetic plain for much of the first millennium A.D. Muslim conversions and settlement in the region began in the 10th century, primarily from Arab and Persian traders and preachers. Europeans established trading posts in the area in the 16th century. Eventually the area known as Bengal, primarily Hindu in the western section and mostly Muslim in the eastern half, became part of British India. Partition in 1947 resulted in an eastern wing of Pakistan in the Muslim-majority area, which became East Pakistan. Calls for greater autonomy and animosity between the eastern and western wings of Pakistan led to a Bengali independence movement. That movement, led by the Awami League (AL) and supported by India, won the independence war for Bangladesh in 1971. The post-independence AL government faced daunting challenges and in 1975 it was overthrown by the military, triggering a series of military coups that resulted in a military-backed government and subsequent creation of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in 1978. That government also ended in a coup in 1981, followed by military-backed rule until democratic elections occurred in 1991. The BNP and AL have alternated in power since 1991, with the exception of a military-backed, emergency caretaker regime that suspended parliamentary elections planned for January 2007 in an effort to reform the political system and root out corruption. That government returned the country to fully democratic rule in December 2008 with the election of the AL and Prime Minister Sheikh HASINA. In January 2014, the incumbent AL won the national election by an overwhelming majority after the BNP boycotted the election, which extended HASINA's term as prime minister. In December 2018, HASINA secured a third consecutive term (fourth overall) with the AL coalition securing 96% of available seats, amid widespread claims of election irregularities. With the help of international development assistance, Bangladesh has reduced the poverty rate from over half of the population to less than a third, achieved Millennium Development Goals for maternal and child health, and made great progress in food security since independence. The economy has grown at an annual average of about 6% for the last two decades. In 2021 the UN approved a resolution to allow Bangladesh to officially graduate from least-developed-country (LDC) status in 2026, based on World Bank criteria.

Area

land

130,170 sq km

total

148,460 sq km

water

18,290 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than Pennsylvania and New Jersey combined; slightly smaller than Iowa

Climate

tropical; mild winter (October to March); hot, humid summer (March to June); humid, warm rainy monsoon (June to October)

Coastline

580 km

Elevation

highest point

Mowdok Taung 1,060 m

lowest point

Indian Ocean 0 m

mean elevation

85 m

Geographic coordinates

24 00 N, 90 00 E

Geography - note

most of the country is situated on deltas of large rivers flowing from the Himalayas: the Ganges unites with the Jamuna (main channel of the Brahmaputra) and later joins the Meghna to eventually empty into the Bay of Bengal

Irrigated land

81,270 sq km (2020)

Land boundaries

border countries

Burma 271 km; India 4,142 km

total

4,413 km

Land use

agricultural land

70.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 59% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 6.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 4.6% (2018 est.)

forest

11.1% (2018 est.)

other

18.8% (2018 est.)

Location

Southern Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and India

Major aquifers

Indus-Ganges-Brahmaputra Basin

Major rivers (by length in km)

Brahmaputra river mouth (shared with China [s] and India) - 3,969 km; Ganges river mouth (shared with India [s]) - 2,704 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Indian Ocean drainage: Brahmaputra (651,335 sq km), Ganges (1,016,124 sq km)

Map references

Asia

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

18 nm

continental shelf

to the outer limits of the continental margin

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

droughts; cyclones; much of the country routinely inundated during the summer monsoon season

Natural resources

natural gas, arable land, timber, coal

Terrain

mostly flat alluvial plain; hilly in southeast

Age structure

0-14 years

26.48% (male 21,918,651/female 21,158,574)

15-24 years

18.56% (male 15,186,470/female 15,001,950)

25-54 years

40.72% (male 31,694,267/female 34,535,643)

55-64 years

7.41% (male 5,941,825/female 6,115,856)

65 years and over

6.82% (male 5,218,206/female 5,879,411) (2020 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

17.69 births/1,000 population (2022 est.)

Child marriage

women married by age 15

15.5%

women married by age 18

51.4% (2019 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

22.6% (2019)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

62.7% (2019)

Current health expenditure

2.5% of GDP (2019)

Death rate

5.47 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

8.6

potential support ratio

11.6 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

47.7

youth dependency ratio

39.1

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 98.7% of population

improved: total

total: 98.9% of population

improved: urban

urban: 99% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 1.3% of population

unimproved: total

total: 1.1% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 1% of population

Education expenditures

2.1% of GDP (2021 est.)

Ethnic groups

Bengali at least 98.9%, other indigenous ethnic groups 1.1% (2011 est.)

note

note: Bangladesh's government recognizes 27 indigenous ethnic groups under the 2010 Cultural Institution for Small Anthropological Groups Act; other sources estimate there are about 75 ethnic groups; critics of the 2011 census claim that it underestimates the size of Bangladesh's ethnic population

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

(2021 est.)

Hospital bed density

0.8 beds/1,000 population (2016)

Infant mortality rate

female

27.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2022 est.)

male

32.96 deaths/1,000 live births

total

30.35 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Languages

Bangla 98.8% (official, also known as Bengali), other 1.2% (2011 est.)

major-language sample(s)

বিশ্ব ফ্যাক্টবুক, মৌলিক তথ্যের অপরিহার্য উৎস (Bangla) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

female

76.96 years (2022 est.)

male

72.52 years

total population

74.7 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

72% (2020)

male

77.8%

total population

74.9%

Major infectious diseases

animal contact diseases

rabies

degree of risk

high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever

note

note: widespread ongoing transmission of a respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is occurring throughout Bangladesh; as of 9 December 2022, Bangladesh has reported a total of 2,036,760 cases of COVID-19 or 1,236.7 cumulative cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 population with a total of 29,436 cumulative deaths or a rate of 17.8 cumulative deaths per 100,000 population; as of 6 December 2022, 87.12% of the population has received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine

vectorborne diseases

dengue fever and malaria are high risks in some locations

water contact diseases

leptospirosis

Major urban areas - population

23.210 million DHAKA (capital), 5.380 million Chittagong, 955,000 Khulna, 962,000 Rajshahi, 964,000 Sylhet, 906,000 Bogra (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

173 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median age

female

28.6 years (2020 est.)

male

27.1 years

total

27.9 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

18.6 years (2017/18 est.)

note

note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49

Nationality

adjective

Bangladeshi

noun

Bangladeshi(s)

Net migration rate

-2.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

3.6% (2016)

Physicians density

0.67 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Population

165,650,475 (2022 est.)

Population growth rate

0.93% (2022 est.)

Religions

Muslim 88.4%, other 11.6% (2020 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 73.5% of population

improved: total

total: 78% of population

improved: urban

urban: 85.3% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 26.5% of population

unimproved: total

total: 22% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 14.7% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

13 years (2020)

male

12 years

total

12 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.04 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.02 male(s)/female

25-54 years

0.92 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.96 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.73 male(s)/female

at birth

1.04 male(s)/female

total population

0.96 male(s)/female (2022 est.)

Tobacco use

female

17.1% (2020 est.)

male

52.2% (2020 est.)

total

34.7% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.09 children born/woman (2022 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

2.88% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

40.5% of total population (2023)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

16.8% (2017 est.)

male

10.8%

total

12.8%

Administrative divisions

8 divisions; Barishal, Chattogram, Dhaka, Khulna, Mymensingh, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Sylhet

Capital

etymology

the origins of the name are unclear, but some sources state that the city's site was originally called "dhakka," meaning "watchtower," and that the area served as a watch-station for Bengal rulers

geographic coordinates

23 43 N, 90 24 E

name

Dhaka

time difference

UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen of Bangladesh

dual citizenship recognized

yes, but limited to select countries

residency requirement for naturalization

5 years

Constitution

amendments

proposed by the House of the Nation; approval requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the House membership and assent of the president of the republic; amended many times, last in 2018

history

previous 1935, 1956, 1962 (preindependence); latest enacted 4 November 1972, effective 16 December 1972, suspended March 1982, restored November 1986

Country name

conventional long form

People's Republic of Bangladesh

conventional short form

Bangladesh

etymology

the name - a compound of the Bengali words "Bangla" (Bengal) and "desh" (country) - means "Country of Bengal"

former

East Bengal, East Pakistan

local long form

Gana Prajatantri Bangladesh

local short form

Bangladesh

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Peter HAAS (since 15 March 2022)

email address and website

DhakaACS@state.govhttps://bd.usembassy.gov/

embassy

Madani Avenue, Baridhara, Dhaka - 1212

FAX

[880] (2) 5566-2907

mailing address

6120 Dhaka Place, Washington DC  20521-6120

telephone

[880] (2) 5566-2000

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

3510 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador M Shahidul ISLAM (since 17 February 2021)

consulate(s) general

Los Angeles, New York

email address and website

mission.washington@mofa.gov.bdhttp://www.bdembassyusa.org/

FAX

[1] (202) 244-2771; [1] (202) 244 7830

telephone

[1] (202) 244-0183

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet selected by the prime minister, appointed by the president

chief of state

President Abdul HAMID (since 24 April 2013); note - Abdul HAMID served as acting president following the death of Zillur RAHMAN in March 2013; HAMID was subsequently indirectly elected by the National Parliament and sworn in 24 April 2013

election results

2018: President Abdul HAMID (AL) reelected by the National Parliament unopposed for a second term; Sheikh HASINA reappointed prime minister as leader of the majority AL party following parliamentary elections in 2018

elections/appointments

president indirectly elected by the National Parliament for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 7 February 2018 (next to be held by 2023); the president appoints as prime minister the majority party leader in the National Parliament

head of government

Prime Minister Sheikh HASINA Wazed (since 6 January 2009)

Flag description

green field with a large red disk shifted slightly to the hoist side of center; the red disk represents the rising sun and the sacrifice to achieve independence; the green field symbolizes the lush vegetation of Bangladesh

Government type

parliamentary republic

Independence

16 December 1971 (from Pakistan)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ADB, ARF, BIMSTEC, C, CD, CICA (observer), CP, D-8, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OPCW, PCA, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Court of Bangladesh (organized into the Appellate Division with 7 justices and the High Court Division with 99 justices)

judge selection and term of office

chief justice and justices appointed by the president; justices serve until retirement at age 67

subordinate courts

civil courts include: Assistant Judge's Court; Joint District Judge's Court; Additional District Judge's Court; District Judge's Court; criminal courts include: Court of Sessions; Court of Metropolitan Sessions; Metropolitan Magistrate Courts; Magistrate Court; special courts/tribunals

Legal system

mixed legal system of mostly English common law and Islamic law

Legislative branch

description

unicameral House of the Nation or Jatiya Sangsad (350 seats; 300 members in single-seat territorial constituencies directly elected by simple majority vote; 50 members - reserved for women only - indirectly elected by the elected members by proportional representation vote using single transferable vote; all members serve 5-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party as of February 2022 - AL 299, JP 27, BNP 7, other 10, independent 4; composition - men 277, women 73, percent of women 20.9%

elections

last held on 30 December 2018 (next to be held in December 2023)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Rabindranath TAGORE

name

"Amar Shonar Bangla" (My Golden Bengal)

note

note: adopted 1971; Rabindranath TAGORE, a Nobel laureate, also wrote India's national anthem

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Bagerhat Historic Mosque (c); Ruins of the Buddhist Vihara at Paharpur (c); Sundarbans (n)

total World Heritage Sites

3 (2 cultural, 1 natural)

National holiday

Independence Day, 26 March (1971); Victory Day, 16 December (1971); note - 26 March 1971 is the date of the Awami League's declaration of an independent Bangladesh, and 16 December (Victory Day) memorializes the military victory over Pakistan and the official creation of the state of Bangladesh

National symbol(s)

Bengal tiger, water lily; national colors: green, red

Political parties and leaders

Awami League or AL [Sheikh HASINA]Bangladesh Jamaat-i-Islami or JIB [Shafiqur RAHMAN]Bangladesh Nationalist Front or BNF [S. M. Abul Kalam AZAD]Bangladesh Nationalist Party or BNP [Tarique RAHMAN, acting chairperson; Khaleda ZIA]Bangladesh Tariqat Federation or BTF [Syed Nozibul Bashar MAIZBHANDARI]Jatiya Party or JP (Ershad faction) [Rowshan ERSHAD]Jatiya Party or JP (Manju faction) [Anwar Hossain MANJU]Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Oli AHMED]National Socialist Party (Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal) or JSD [Hasanul Haque INU]Workers Party or WP [Rashed Khan MENON]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

rice, potatoes, maize, sugar cane, milk, vegetables, onions, jute, mangoes/guavas, wheat

Budget

expenditures

33.5 billion (2017 est.)

revenues

25.1 billion (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-3.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

BB- (2014)

Moody's rating

Ba3 (2012)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Standard & Poors rating

BB- (2010)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2016

$1.391 billion (2016 est.)

Current account balance 2017

-$5.322 billion (2017 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 31 December 2016

$41.85 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Debt - external 31 December 2017

$50.26 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

Economic overview

Bangladesh's economy has grown roughly 6% per year since 2005 despite prolonged periods of political instability, poor infrastructure, endemic corruption, insufficient power supplies, and slow implementation of economic reforms. Although more than half of GDP is generated through the services sector, almost half of Bangladeshis are employed in the agriculture sector, with rice as the single-most-important product.   Garments, the backbone of Bangladesh's industrial sector, accounted for more than 80% of total exports in FY 2016-17. The industrial sector continues to grow, despite the need for improvements in factory safety conditions. Steady export growth in the garment sector, combined with $13 billion in remittances from overseas Bangladeshis, contributed to Bangladesh's rising foreign exchange reserves in FY 2016-17. Recent improvements to energy infrastructure, including the start of liquefied natural gas imports in 2018, represent a major step forward in resolving a key growth bottleneck.

Exchange rates

Currency

taka (BDT) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2013

77.614 (2013 est.)

Exchange rates 2014

77.947 (2014 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

83.715 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

85 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

84.75 (2020 est.)

Exports

Exports 2018

$44.13 billion (2018 est.)

Exports 2019

$44.96 billion (2019 est.)

Exports 2020

$38.78 billion (2020 est.)

note

note: Data are in current year dollars and do not include illicit exports or re-exports.

Exports - commodities

clothing, knitwear, leather footwear (2019)

Exports - partners

United States 15%, Germany 14%, United Kingdom 8%, Spain 7%, France 7% (2019)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

15% (2017 est.)

government consumption

6% (2017 est.)

household consumption

68.7% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-20.3% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

30.5% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

1% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

14.2% (2017 est.)

industry

29.3% (2017 est.)

services

56.5% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$329.545 billion (2020 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2005

33.2 (2005)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2016

32.4 (2016 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

27% (2010 est.)

lowest 10%

4%

Imports

Imports 2018

$65.59 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2019

$64.23 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2020

$57.26 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, cotton, natural gas, scrap iron, wheat (2019)

Imports - partners

China 31%, India 15%, Singapore 5% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

10.2% (2017 est.)

Industries

jute, cotton, garments, paper, leather, fertilizer, iron and steel, cement, petroleum products, tobacco, pharmaceuticals, ceramics, tea, salt, sugar, edible oils, soap and detergent, fabricated metal products, electricity, natural gas

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

5.6% (2017 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018

5.5% (2018 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

5.5% (2019 est.)

Labor force

66.64 million (2017 est.)

note

note: extensive migration of labor to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Oman, Qatar, and Malaysia

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

42.7%

industry

20.5%

services

36.9% (2016 est.)

Population below poverty line

24.3% (2016 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2016

33.3% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

33.1% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018

$716.65 billion (2018 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$775.08 billion (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$793.49 billion (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2015

6.8% (2015 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2016

7.2% (2016 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2017

7.4% (2017 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2018

$4,400 (2018 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2019

$4,800 (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$4,800 (2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2016

$32.28 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017

$33.42 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

9.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

note

note: about 40% of the population is underemployed; many persons counted as employed work only a few hours a week and at low wages

Unemployment rate 2016

4.4% (2016 est.)

Unemployment rate 2017

4.4% (2017 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

16.8% (2017 est.)

male

10.8%

total

12.8%

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

16.538 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas

61.107 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

18.535 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

total emissions

96.18 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Coal

consumption

9.345 million metric tons (2020 est.)

exports

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports

8.329 million metric tons (2020 est.)

production

1.016 million metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves

293 million metric tons (2019 est.)

Electricity

consumption

76,849,877,000 kWh (2019 est.)

exports

0 kWh (2019 est.)

imports

6.786 billion kWh (2019 est.)

installed generating capacity

18.461 million kW (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

9.537 billion kWh (2019 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

77% (2019)

electrification - total population

83% (2019)

electrification - urban areas

93% (2019)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

fossil fuels

98.6% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity

0.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar

0.6% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2019

9.917 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

31,268,968,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)

exports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

imports

2,639,041,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)

production

28,629,927,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)

proven reserves

126.293 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil and lease condensate exports

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports

21,600 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves

28 million barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

122,500 bbl/day (2019 est.)

total petroleum production

13,500 bbl/day (2021 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

901 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

81,570 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

26,280 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

6 (2020 est.)

total

10,052,819 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

state-owned Bangladesh Television (BTV) broadcasts throughout the country. Some channels, such as BTV World, operate via satellite. The government also owns a medium wave radio channel and some private FM radio broadcast news channels. Of the 41 Bangladesh approved TV stations, 26 are currently being used to broadcast. Of those, 23 operate under private management via cable distribution. Collectively, TV channels can reach more than 50 million people across the country.

Internet country code

.bd

Internet users

percent of population

25% (2020 est.)

total

41,172,346 (2020 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line teledensity remains less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone subscribership has been increasing rapidly and now exceeds 107 per 100 persons; mobile subscriber growth is anticipated over the next five years to 2023 (2020)

general assessment

Bangladesh’s economic resurgence over the last decade took a battering in 2020 and 2021 as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic; the country had been on track to move off the United Nation’s Least Developed Countries list by 2026, however the crisis may have pushed that back a few years; the telecommunications sector experienced a set of challenges, with mobile data usage exploding at the same time as many consumers were being forced to curb their spending in other areas; the demand on data grew so large and so rapidly that Bangladesh came close to running out of bandwidth; at the start of 2020, Bangladesh was consuming around 900Gb/s on average, well below the 2,642GB/s capacity of its submarine cables; this ballooned to over 2,300Gb/s during the pandemic; Bangladesh was looking forward to adding 7,200Gb/s capacity when the SEA-ME-WE-6 submarine cable goes into service in mid-2024, but the sudden upsurge in downloads is forcing state-run company Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company Limited (BSCCL) to scramble to find alternatives before the country’s internet supply is maxed out; the increased demand during the Covid-19 crisis also put pressure on the country’s existing mobile networks, already under strain as a result of strong growth in the mobile broadband market coupled with significant untapped potential for mobile services in general across the country; this led to premium prices being paid at auction for spectrum in the 1800MHz and 2100MHz bands, most of which will be used to enhance and expand LTE services; a 5G spectrum auction had been anticipated for 2020, but low interest from the MNOs in going down that path when there are still so many areas waiting for LTE access means that 5G  will likely be deferred until 2023 (2021)

international

country code - 880; landing points for the SeaMeWe-4 and SeaMeWe-5 fiber-optic submarine cable system that provides links to Europe, the Middle East, and Asia; satellite earth stations - 6; international radiotelephone communications and landline service to neighboring countries (2019)

note

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

1 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

1,390,048 (2020 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

107 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

176,279,465 (2020 est.)

Airports

total

18 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

6

2,438 to 3,047 m

2

914 to 1,523 m

1

over 3,047 m

2

total

16

under 914 m

5 (2021)

Airports - with unpaved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

1

total

2

under 914 m

1 (2021)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

S2

Heliports

3 (2021)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 48, container ship 6, general cargo 140, oil tanker 144, other 130 (2021)

total

468

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

63.82 million (2018) mt-km

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

5,984,155 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

30

number of registered air carriers

6 (2020)

Pipelines

2,950 km gas (2013)

Ports and terminals

container port(s) (TEUs)

Chattogram (Chittagong) (3,088,187) (2019)

major seaport(s)

Chattogram (Chittagong)

river port(s)

Mongla Port (Sela River)

Railways

broad gauge

659 km (2014) 1.676-m gauge

narrow gauge

1,801 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge

total

2,460 km (2014)

Roadways

paved

110,311 km (2018)

total

369,105 km (2018)

unpaved

258,794 km (2018)

Waterways

8,370 km (2011) (includes up to 3,060 km of main cargo routes; network reduced to 5,200 km in the dry season)

Maritime threats

the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial waters of Bangladesh remain a risk for armed robbery against ships; there were no attacks reported in 2021 as opposed to four ships that were boarded in 2020

Military - note

the military’s chief areas of focus are border, economic exclusion zone, and domestic security; the Army maintains a large domestic security presence in the Chittagong Hills area where it conducted counterinsurgency operations against tribal guerrillas from the 1970s until the late 1990s; since 2009, the military has been in a force-wide expansion and modernization program known as Forces Goal 2030 (2022)

Military and security forces

Armed Forces of Bangladesh (aka Bangladesh Defense Force): Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Navy, Bangladesh Air Force; Ministry of Home Affairs: Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Bangladesh Coast Guard, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Ansars, Village Defense Party (VDP) (2022)

note

note 1: the Armed Forces of Bangladesh are jointly administered by the Ministry of Defense (MOD) and the Armed Forces Division (AFD), both under the Prime Minister's Office; the AFD has ministerial status and parallel functions with MOD; the AFD is a joint coordinating headquarters for the three services and also functions as a joint command center during wartime; to coordinate policy, the prime minister and the president are advised by a six-member board, which includes the three service chiefs of staff, the principal staff officer of the AFD, and the military secretaries to the prime minister and presidentnote 2: the RAB, Ansars, and VDP are paramilitary organizations for internal security; the RAB is a joint task force founded in 2004 and composed of members of the police, Army, Navy, Air Force, and Border Guards seconded to the RAB from their respective units; its mandate includes internal security, intelligence gathering related to criminal activities, and government-directed investigations

Military and security service personnel strengths

information varies; approximately 165,000 total active personnel (135,000 Army; 15,000 Navy; 15,000 Air Force) (2022)

Military deployments

1,375 Central African Republic (MINUSCA); 1,625 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO; plus about 190 police); 120 Lebanon (UNIFIL); 1,100 Mali (MINUSMA; plus about 280 police); 1,600 South Sudan (UNMISS); 180 Sudan (UNISFA) (May 2022)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

much of the military's inventory is comprised of Chinese- and Russian-origin equipment, with a smaller mix from a variety of other suppliers; since 2010, China has been the leading provider of arms to Bangladesh; as of 2022, Bangladesh was undertaking a large defense modernization program, with a focus on naval acquisitions (2022)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2018

1.4% of GDP (2018) (approximately $4.57 billion)

Military Expenditures 2019

1.4% of GDP (2019) (approximately $5.12 billion)

Military Expenditures 2020

1.3% of GDP (2020)

Military Expenditures 2021

1.2% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

1.1% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military service age and obligation

16-21 years of age for voluntary military service; Bangladeshi nationality and 10th grade education required; officers: 17-21 years of age, Bangladeshi nationality, and 12th grade education required (2022)

Disputes - international

Bangladesh-Burma: Burmese border authorities are constructing a 200 km (124 mi) wire fence designed to deter illegal cross-border transit and tensions from the military build-up along border.Bangladesh-India: Bangladesh referred its maritime boundary claims with Burma and India to the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea; Indian Prime Minister Singh's September 2011 visit to Bangladesh resulted in the signing of a Protocol to the 1974 Land Boundary Agreement between India and Bangladesh, which had called for the settlement of longstanding boundary disputes over un-demarcated areas and the exchange of territorial enclaves, but which had never been implemented.

Illicit drugs

transit country for illegal drugs produced in neighboring countries; does not manufacture precursor chemicals with the exception of sulphuric acid, hydrochloric acid, and toluene

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

427,000 (conflict, development, human rights violations, religious persecution, natural disasters) (2021)

refugees (country of origin)

950,972 (Burma) (2022)

stateless persons

889,704 (mid-year 2021)

Terrorist group(s)

Harakat ul-Jihad-i-Islami/Bangladesh; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham in Bangladesh (ISB); al-Qa'ida; al-Qa'ida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS)

note

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

84.25 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

59.3 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

58.33 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

Climate

tropical; mild winter (October to March); hot, humid summer (March to June); humid, warm rainy monsoon (June to October)

Environment - current issues

many people are landless and forced to live on and cultivate flood-prone land; waterborne diseases prevalent in surface water; water pollution, especially of fishing areas, results from the use of commercial pesticides; ground water contaminated by naturally occurring arsenic; intermittent water shortages because of falling water tables in the northern and central parts of the country; soil degradation and erosion; deforestation; destruction of wetlands; severe overpopulation with noise pollution

Environment - international agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Food insecurity

severe localized food insecurity

due to economic constraints -  losses in income and remittances caused by the COVID‑19 pandemic and its containment measures led to an increase in poverty; in 2022, food insecurity is expected to increase and remain at high levels due to the impact of recent shocks, including floods that occurred in mid‑May 2022 in the northeastern parts of the country and the elevated international prices of energy, fuel and food, which have been transmitted to the domestic markets (2022)

Land use

agricultural land

70.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 59% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 6.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 4.6% (2018 est.)

forest

11.1% (2018 est.)

other

18.8% (2018 est.)

Major aquifers

Indus-Ganges-Brahmaputra Basin

Major infectious diseases

animal contact diseases

rabies

degree of risk

high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever

note

note: widespread ongoing transmission of a respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is occurring throughout Bangladesh; as of 9 December 2022, Bangladesh has reported a total of 2,036,760 cases of COVID-19 or 1,236.7 cumulative cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 population with a total of 29,436 cumulative deaths or a rate of 17.8 cumulative deaths per 100,000 population; as of 6 December 2022, 87.12% of the population has received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine

vectorborne diseases

dengue fever and malaria are high risks in some locations

water contact diseases

leptospirosis

Major rivers (by length in km)

Brahmaputra river mouth (shared with China [s] and India) - 3,969 km; Ganges river mouth (shared with India [s]) - 2,704 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Indian Ocean drainage: Brahmaputra (651,335 sq km), Ganges (1,016,124 sq km)

Revenue from coal

coal revenues

0.02% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

forest revenues

0.08% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

1.227 trillion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

31.5 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial

770 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

municipal

3.6 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

2.88% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

40.5% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

14,778,497 tons (2012 est.)